B is for Big Red
by Johnnygagesgirl
Summary: The second story in my alphabet series. My take on how Mike would react if Big Red got into an accident.


**B is for Big Red**

**Featuring: Mike Stoker**

**Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end.**

**~Emergency!~**

It was a rainy day in Los Angeles County. Actually, it had been a rainy week. It had been raining for five straight days and everyone was sick of the rain, especially for six firemen stationed at Station 51. Even the Phantom was sick of the rain, and stopped putting water bombs in his pigeon's locker.

Cap had elected himself for making food that day. He figured that a nice hot bowl of clam chowder would raise everyone's spirits. Five eager firemen sat patiently around the table, looking at their captain, practically tasting the chowder when the klaxons went off.

**Station 51, MVA on the freeway, past mile marker 5. Time out, 12:35.**

Everyone got up out of their seat, quickly, but the looks of disappointment was everyone's face. All they wanted was a hot, dry, uninterrupted meal for one day.

Cap looked out of the engine as the doors went up and commented to Mike, "Looks like the rain has gotten worse, better be careful." Of course Mike would be careful with his engine, but it wasn't Mike Cap was worried about, it was the crazy California drivers. A lot of the people in California didn't know how to drive when the weather got as bad as it was at the moment.

The turn off for the freeway was coming up when suddenly, out of nowhere, the tire on Big Red slipped off the pavement. Mike tried as hard as he could to keep Big Red on the pavement, but to no avail. Big Red slipped off the road into a tree, smacking it hard. Mike was stunned.

Everyone sat in the engine stunned for a few seconds, then they reacted. Cap called LA county dispatch, "LA county, be advised Engine 51 has gotten into an accident. Engine 51 is unavailable." Mike was just cursing to himself in his head, asking himself how he gotten into an accident with his engine, "Damn it." Marco was whispering "Our Father" much like he did when he was agitated or scared and Chet was just sitting there in shock.

Roy stopped the squad while Johnny got out to check on them. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, going into paramedic mode. When everyone had said they were fine, Johnny climbed back into the squad and proceeded to the accident, wanting to stay but knowing they had a duty to the people of LA County.

Mike, after cursing to himself several more times, got out of the engine to inspect the damage. Inspecting everything closely, he couldn't see any major damage, but he knew Charlie would be mad enough. Charlie thought no one who worked in the fire department was worthy of driving his squads, engines, and trucks. Any accident that one of them would get into would make him even less trustworthy of the people who were driving.

Mike then slid back into Big Red, and commented to Cap, "The damage isn't bad, but how in the hell did I go off the road. I was going at a reasonable speed."

"Mike, don't get to down about this. Even the best of us can get into accidents. These conditions aren't fit for man or beast, but yet some people drive like maniacs in it. If people would learn to stay home in these conditions, we wouldn't have these problems," Cap tried to comfort Mike. A similar situation had happened to him while was still on the engine crew. His captain then was not so compassionate about it, and made the engineer's life hell until he had to transfer to a new station.

Mike then relaxed a little bit, then wondered out loud to no one in particular, "Wonder what Charlie is going to say about this."

~Emergency!~

Charlie arrived at the scene about 15 minutes later. As expected, he wasn't happy that "his" engine had crashed. As soon as he saw Big Red he exclaimed, "What the hell Stoker! You are damn lucky that the damage is minor."

Mike just walked away, trying to keep his cool, when he slipped on the pavement right around where Big Red slipped. Feeling it, he knew exactly what it was, oil. Some twit had spilled oil onto the pavement without cleaning it up. Mixed in with the rain, well there was a trap that could put even the most experienced drivers into the ditch. "Cap come here," he yelled, "And be careful!"

Cap ran over to where Mike was sitting on the group, and asked, "What is it Mike?"

"Cap, there is oil on the pavement, I think this is how I slid off the pavement," relief was evident in Mike's voice. He thought that it was his error that had put them into the tree. To find out it was someone else's error made him feel so much better.

Epilogue

Mike, Cap, Marco, and Chet caught a ride with Charlie back to the station. It wasn't the most pleasant of rides, because Charlie was still complaining about how Mike wrecked his engine. When he got back to the shop, he would bring his tow truck to the site, tow Big Red, and fix it up again.

When Roy and Johnny got back to the station and changed into a dry uniform (for the sixth time that day) they asked how Big Red got into the ditch, both knowing that Mike was careful with Big Red. Mike explained how the oil spill plus the downpour of rain had caused a really slick spot. After Mike was done telling the story he commented, "Yeah, I would like to get a hold of the twit that left that oil spot there. He probably thought that the rain would wash it off the pavement before someone hit it. Don't they know oil isn't washed away right away?"

"Cap, at least we can be thankful that no one got hurt. Big Red is a bit dented up, but Charlie will have it fixed back up in no time," Mike said to Cap.

"I agree Mike, I agree," was all Cap said to that.

**Author's Note: When it is raining, oil is not washed off the pavement right away. It can take a few hours for it to completely wash off.**


End file.
